We’ll be picking the replacement owner soon but we want to make sure everyone has a fair chance of getting their email read.

Thank you for all the interest.

(the correct email address is hoopsfantasy@gmail.com if you are interested in the fantasy basketball dynasty league opening)

Post from: Expert Fantasy

This is definitely a league for those of you fantasy basketball experts out there or those who want to play fantasy basketball at its highest level. Most everyone in the league takes it very serious so you can expect to have a fun and challenging time. The annual buy-in is $50, first prize wins $450 and it pays out all the way to eighth place.

This is year number four of this dynasty league so you will obviously be picking up a team that already has a roster full of players. Since the season has already started, you will only have to pay $25 of the regular $50 buy-in — although you will still be eligible for full payout.

If you are interested, shoot me an email at hoopsfantasy@gmail.com and I will give you the rest of the information about the league. If you have a fantasy basketball blog or are a certifiable fantasy basketball expert, I can probably even get you in for free for this year.

Trust me, this is a fantastic league to join and enjoy year after year.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Here is a look at the key fantasy players on the Pacers:

Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal can put up very good stats when he’s healthy. The problem has been keeping him healthy over the last couple years. He missed the season opener but has played in both games since.

Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Dunleavy has played great this young season. Since the beginning of the preseason, there has been a noticeable difference in Dunleavy’s game. He’s much more confident and he seems to finally be comfortable in the NBA. Dunleavy has always had the talent, it’s the intangibles he used to lack.

Danny Granger
Granger is off to a huge start this season. Averaging over 22 points per game, Granger could be in line for a breakout year. His three-point shooting looks to be much improved and overall Granger looks like a player who could have a very productive fantasy season.

Jamaal Tinsley
Under new coach Jim O’Brien, Tinsley has looked the best he has in years. Tinsley knows his chances as a starter in the NBA are running out and seems to be on a mission this year. His shooting percentages will likely be low and his turnovers high, but otherwise he could be a very good sleeper this year.

Troy Murphy
Murphy has missed the entire season to date. However, he still has a spot in the rotation as the starting center once he returns. He’s also a good match for O’Brien’s system and could return to double-double form once he gets back on the court.

Ike Diogu
Diogu has always had the talent to play in the NBA, he’s just never had the playing time. With Murphy out, Diogu has stepped in and played very well. He’s averaging double digits in scoring and putting up solid rebounding numbers.

Jeff Foster
Foster has always been a good center option for the Pacers. However, fantasy-wise he’s not a great option because his playing time is usually sporadic. Once Murphy returns, Foster will most likely be moved out of the starting lineup.

Marquis Daniels
Daniels has the potential to be a very good fantasy player. He does everything well and can play multiple positions. Although currently, Daniels doesn’t enough minutes to be a quality fantasy option. If that changes, Daniels is a player to give a look.

Travis Diener
Backing up Tinsley, Diener is only in line to get spot minutes. That said, Tinsley isn’t exactly the most sturdy point guard and if he misses any time, Diener would get big minutes as the starter. Keep an eye on Tinsley’s health and pick up Diener if Tinsley goes down.

David Harrison
Harrison’s stats were impressive over the first couple games of the season. It was no doubt his best start to a season as he heads into his fourth year in the NBA. But once Murphy returns from injury, Harrison’s minutes will likely be significantly reduced.

Kareem Rush
Rush in the Pacers hired gun from the outside. He can stroke three-pointers and the Pacers will use him in that role when needed. Fantasy-wise, Rush doesn’t add much unless you are desperate for three-pointers.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

With the exhibition season over and the regular season right around the corner, this is the time of year we start hearing about which players each team are going to start. Here are some starters who have been named recently:

C Theo Ratliff, Minnesota Timberwolves
Ratliff has apparently won the starting center job for the Timberwolves. He has been ravaged by injuries in the last half decade but when healthy, Ratliff is always been one of the league’s best shotblockers. Keep an eye on him to see if he can remain healthy and to evaluate how many minutes he is getting. His contract is coming to an end, so he has extra motivation to play well this season.

PF Yi Jianlian, Milwuakee Bucks
Yi, a rookie from China, is the new starting power forward for the Bucks. Yi played well in the preseason and has to be looked at as fantasy prospect. While his long-term outlook is positive, he’s most likely going to have a rocky road this season. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll be able to hold onto the job the entire year.

Bucks Season Preview Mix …

SF Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks
Welcome back to fantasy relevancy, Bobby. Simmons has been injured more often than not over the last couple years. However, it now appears that he’s won the starting small forward job for the Bucks and could be a major part of their offense this season. Keep tabs on him because once upon a time, Simmons was a very good fantasy player.

SG Ronnie Brewer, Utah Jazz
In the worst kept secret of the preseason, Brewer was named the starting shooting guard for the Jazz. Brewer was a beast in preseason and it was obvious early on that he’d win the job. It’s going to be very interesting to see if Brewer can continue his success into the regular season to the point that he’s a sought after fantasy player.

PG Rafer Alston, Houston Rockets
Alston had a tumultuous summer. He got into a couple scrapes with the law and publicly wondered about his role with the Rockets. There was some talk of the Rockets trading or even waiving Alston. All that seems to be in the past now that Alston impressed new coach Rick Adelman enough that he’s expected to start the season as the point guard for Houston. If Alston plays enough minutes, he’ll be a fine fantasy option this season.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Why is it important how good the real NBA teams are? It’s simple, really. Players on good teams are more likely to fight through injuries, especially late in the season. Also, players on good teams have a safer spot in their team’s rotation. A player on a bad team could be benched or traded at any moment. That bottomline is that good players on good teams are very safe in fantasy and that aspect should be remembered throughout the fantasy season.

With that explained, here’s a look at my top ten teams heading into the regular season. Drafting players from these teams is much safer than drafting players from any other team.

1) San Antonio Spurs – The defending champions are returning with basically the same team. The team and their players are all known commodities.

2) Phoenix Suns – When you are dealing with the Suns, you know they’ll be good and you know they’ll produce a lot of fantasy relevant players.

3) Dallas Mavericks – The Mavs aren’t as stable as the first two teams on this list. However, the team didn’t change much in the offseason, which means that we can expect more of the same.

4) Detroit Pistons – The Pistons are another team much like the Spurs and the Suns as far as being able to completely trust their players. An added bonus for players on the Pistons is they tend to rarely get hurt.

5) Boston Celtics – The Celtics are a new team but there’s no reason to be down on any member of the big three. However, after those two players, it’s a little bit of an unknown at this point.

6) Utah Jazz – The Jazz got to the Western Conference Finals last year and they are bringing back the same core. Expect more of the same.

7) Houston Rockets – The Rockets made a lot of nice offseason moves. The only downside to that is it’s hard to determine what will happen outside of TMac and Yao.

8) Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs are the defending Eastern Conference champions. That said, without Varejao and Pavlovic to begin the season, they will be a much different team.

9) Chicago Bulls – The Bulls have a massive amount of young, talented players. However, with Scott Skiles in charge, it’s difficult to know who is going to play week to week.

10) Denver Nuggets – Now that AI is settled in Denver, the Nuggets have a chance to be a top team this year. Most of their parts are the same and you know the ball will run through AI and Melo.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers
Brand was recently allowed to shed his walking boot and start more rigorous cardiovascular exercises. The Clippers’ power forward is attempting to come back from a torn Achilles tendon. While Brand seems to be recovery pretty swiftly, drafting him in a fantasy basketball league is risky. There’s a chance he’s out for the season and even if he does return, there’s no guarantee he’ll immediately return to his prior form.

Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh has been out of action since Oct. 7 when he started to experience knee pain. While the injury wasn’t believed to be serious, it’s good to report that Bosh is back at practice and is aiming toward playing in Thursday’s preseason game. If Bosh plays on Thursday, you can erase any worries you had about him and his knee heading into the NBA season.

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
Reports out of Los Angeles indicate that Odom could be sidelined from anywhere from two to five regular season games as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. Even with this injury news, Odom should still be a valuable fantasy player this season. If he starts to slip in your fantasy draft, don’t be afraid to pick him.

Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
Camby had back spasms prior to Tuesday’s preseason games that kept him out of the contest. Injuries are nothing new to Camby. In fact, history tells us this will be the first of many injuries Camby suffers this year. When selecting Camby, you have to know that he’ll miss some time due to injury. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best centers in fantasy basketball.

Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks
Howard hurt his wrist on the defensive end of the court against the Bulls on Tuesday night. He’s scheduled for an MRI to judge the severity of the injury. Until the results of that MRI are known, you should probably shy away from Howard a bit in fantasy drafts. After the game he was seen with his wrist in a splint, which isn’t a great sign.

Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics
Durant injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of the preseason game on Tuesday. The Sonics are listed him as day-to-day. Since this injury doesn’t appear to be serious, go ahead and keep Durant’s stock the same. However, when you draft Durant, you have to know that he’ll have his rough spots just like any other rookie.

Photo credit: USA Today

Post from: Expert Fantasy